If Rishabh Pant is fit and plays full IPL, he will become India’s first-choice wicket-keeper – Parthiv Patel

Former Indian wicket-keeper bat Parthiv Patel reckons if Rishabh Pant is fit and plays full IPL, he will become India’s first-choice wicket-keeper. Pant suffered a horrific car accident and was ruled out of action for the entire 2023.

Since then, Pant has been on the path to recovery and he will lead Delhi Capitals in the upcoming edition of the Indian Premier League. Meanwhile, in the absence of Rishabh Pant, wicket-keepers like Ishan Kishan, Jitesh Sharm, and Sanju Samson have got their chances. Furthermore, KL Rahul has done a fine job for the team in the ODI format.

Pant is well known to turn the match on its head with his blistering batting and he could be on selectors’ radar as a first-choice wicket-keeper if he has a decent run in the IPL 2024.

Pant has an immaculate record in the IPL, scoring 2838 runs in 98 IPL matches at an average of 34.61 and a strike rate of 147.97. Thus, the left-hander will look to lead from the front in the upcoming season.

“If he (Pant) comes back and is fit enough and just plays the full IPL, I think all the other 4 wicketkeepers will stay in the waiting list. Rishabh Pant would automatically become the No. 1 choice. He (Pant) brings in a lot of flare, the way he has played in the last couple of years. It was an unfortunate accident, otherwise he (Pant) would have been a certain in this format,” Parthiv said on Sports18.

Pant has been a game-changer for India across formats and his addition will be a huge boost for the team. IPL 2024 will begin on March 22 and it will be interesting to note Pant’s performances in the tournament.

On the other hand, Sanju Samson replaced Jitesh Sharma in the third T20I against Afghanistan at Bengaluru on Thursday but he could not grab his chance as he was dismissed for a goldenduck.